ALTERNATIVE CURRICULUM: The integration of an alternative curriculum: Skill Force

The introduction of alternative curricula in the UK for students in the secondary phase is one of a number of strategies designed to improve attendance at school, reduce exclusion and improve attainment. Skill Force is a charitable youth initiative that offers 14‐ to 16‐year‐old students a key skills based vocational alternative to the traditional curriculum. In this article, Lynne Rogers, Susan Hallam and Jacquelene Shaw of the Institute of Education, University of London, and Jasmine Rhamie of the University of Southampton set out to explore the views of Skill Force instructors and team leaders, school staff and Skill Force Regional Directors. These participants perceived the critical factors in the successful integration of Skill Force to be: effective introduction of the programme to pupils and parents; careful selection of students; clear introduction of the programme to staff; integrated discipline policies; strong support from senior management; good communication; and a willingness to resolve practical difficulties.     

Listening Retention of Third-Grade Pupils as a Function of Mode of Presentation

This study compared the listening retention of third-grade pupils who had been exposed to a literature passage via three modes of presentation. Within each of 20 classrooms, pupils were randomly assigned to one of three groups in which the teacher read from a book, showed a filmstrip, or showed a film. In each presentation, identical words and pictures were used. A listening retention test was administered that showed statistically insignificant differences. Following a statistical power analysis, it was concluded that the three modes of presentation produced approximately equivalent effects upon the listening retention of the pupils.     

The Relationship of the World Wide Web to Thinking Skills

As access to the WWW increases in schools and classrooms it is vital for educators at all levels to examine closely its potential roles in learning. Much emphasis has been placed upon making the WWW available without enough emphasis on methods of using it so students will benefit from instruction based upon it. A continuing goal of modern pedagogy is to help students move beyond the lower order cognitive domain, knowledge and comprehension, to higher order thinking skills: application; analysis;, synthesis; and evaluation. Students also need critical thinking skills. These skills are necessary for dealing with the demands of the future information society, which will be even more complex and demanding than at present. In order to foster the skills mentioned above, teachers are urged to provide learning environments that are learner-centred, authentic, problem-based and collaborative. Les relations entre le World Wide Web et les aptitudes des pensées. Comme l'accès au WWW s'accroît dans les écoles et les classes il est vital que les enseignants À tous niveaux examinent de près son rÔle potentiel en éducation. On a mis beaucoup l'accent sur les possibilités d'accès au WWW sans mettre assez l'accent sur les méthodes d'emploi par les étudiants de facon À ce qu'ils puissent bénéficier de l'instruction qu'il permet. Un objectif constant de la pédagogie moderne est d'aider les étudiants À dépasser le domaine cognitif limité. le savoir et la compréhension vers des aptitudes de pensée d'un ordre supérieur : applications, analyses, synthèses et évaluations. Les étudiants ont aussi besoin de pensée critique - ces aptitudes sont nécessaires pour faire face aux demandes de la future société de l'information, qui sera encore plus complexe et exigeante que maintenant. De facon À favoriser les aptitudes mentionnées ci-dessus , il faut que les enseignants fournissent les environnements éducatifs qui sont centrés sur l'apprenant, authentiques, basés sur la résolution de problèmes et la collaboration. Der Zusammenhang zwischen dem World Wide Web und den Denkfähigkeiten. Mit den wachsenden Zugängen an das WWW in Schulen und Klassenräumen wird es für Lehrer auf allen Ebenen immer dringender ihre zukünftige Rolle im Unterricht zu überdenken. Es wurde sehr viel Wert auf die Verfügbarkeit des WWWs gelegt, ohne jedoch auf Anwendungsmöglichkeiten zu achten damit die Lernenden von einem auf dem Web basierenden Unterricht profitieren. Ständiges Ziel moderner Pädagogik ist, Studenten zu helfen, über die untere Stufe des kognitiven Bereichs, Wissen und Verständnis, auf eine höhere Stufe des Denkprozesses zu gelangen: nämlich Anwendung, Analyse, Synthese und Bewertung. Schüler brauchen auch kritisches Denken. Diese Fähigkeiten sind notwendig im Umgang mit den Anforderungen der zukünftigen Informationsgesellschaft, die noch komplexer und schwieriger als die jetzige sein wird. Um diese Fähigkeiten zu fördern müssen Lehrer Lernumfelder schaffen, die sich am Studenten orientieren, authentisch sind, auf Problemlösungen basieren und collaborativ sind.     

Does competition improve public school efficiency? A spatial analysis

Advocates for educational reform frequently call for policies to increase competition between schools because it is argued that market forces naturally lead to greater efficiencies, including improved student learning, when schools face competition. Researchers examining this issue are confronted with difficulties in defining reasonable measures of competition within local educational markets. We approach the problem through the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) tools to the development of a school competition index (SCI) for the state of Mississippi. The SCI captures the degree of competition each public school in the state faces from peer private schools spatially located within their local market area. We find that higher degrees of competition from private schools significantly increase public primary and high school efficiency, as measured by the proficiency rates on high-stakes examinations. It is anticipated that the current results will inform policymakers regarding the viability of competition-based reforms.     

Development and Preliminary Validation of the Time Management for Exercise Scale

The purpose of this study was to collect preliminary validity evidence for a time management scale for exercise. An initial pool of 91 items was developed from existing literature. Ten exercise/health psychologists evaluated each of the items in terms of relevance and representativeness. Forty-nine items met all criteria. Exploratory factor analysis of the initial pool of items with a sample of 501 undergraduate students revealed an interpretable 32-item, 4-factor solution: exercise importance, exercise documentation, perceived ability to manage time for exercise, and setting exercise goals. Internal consistency values ranged from 0.73 to 0.91. Time management for exercise appears to be related to exercise behavior as indicated by moderate correlations between each of the subscales and exercise behavior.